Guiding or controlling mechanism for trucks or the like



June 21, 1921- 1,633,473

E.C. BUSH I GUIDING 0R CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR TRUCKS OR THE- LIKE Fil ed Dec. 19. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,633,473 June 21 1927' E. c. BUSH GUIDING OR CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR TRUCKS OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. m. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 21, 1927.

ELIDIS GLYDIEI BUSH,

mien company; on'aimns'rowm miw- 203K.

or mMEs-mwmmnw YORK; AssIeNon'ro 'ART METAL .coNsrmIceurnme: onscomrnonmne MECHANIS nonmnucxs oniTimLi EQ Application filed December aelan, swarm. 757,052;

This invention relates to improvements in guiding or controlling means. for hand propelled. trucks or omnibuses and, the like wheeled, devices. More particularly, the invention relates to trucks or. devices having pair of, mainsupportingwheels arranged to rotateaboutfixed. axes, and oneor, more swivel wheels vor casters cooperating with theme-in ,wheelsto permit the devicetobe moved lengthwise andsteered. and. turned bodily in various directions.v Trueksor, devices; of this, sort are used in, banks and other establishments for supporting and transporting cabinets cases or otherheavy objects. so: that, they may be readily. moved fromgplace to place, as for instance, from the vbank. vault. to, a; position in. the tellerS cage, or beneath: itheitellerscounter. In 7 the usualarrangement of. thecountersor other fixtures and equipment in such places the space beneath the counter or elsewhere into whiclrthe truck and its;load.. is tobe moved is quite restricted,. often. only, a; few inches wider. thantlietruck. It is desirable, therefore, that, the truck, beiso constructed} that it can be moved parallel to the counteror other object to, a position directly in front of; the space it. isfto occupy, andthen be 7 moved sideways. directly at, right angles to its former direction ofmovementcintovthis space. Devices. of this sort, heretofore, in use have not fully met, these requirements, and, considerable, difficulty; has been experienced in moving them into theirintended positions in restricted. spaces, or such previous deviceshavebeen more. or less complicated in; construction. or; troublesome, to operate. and, liable to get-rout v of" orden The principal objecthoit the invention is tor-provide, a truck or; device of; thecharacter described, which isconstructed so, that it may be readilyrolled, about on its wheels andv steered: in the usual way. and which truckis prnvidedwith guiding or controlling mechanism which is operable to. permit, the

truck to be moved int dinectionsat right angles to each. other or. endwise and. sidewise of itself: without turning thetruck 7 Other; objects are togprovide, a; device, of thissort haying a, pair an auxiliary, wheels arranged at, right; angles: to" he carrying wheels and; which arenermally levated. off of the floor on.whielnthe detaice rests; and 16311541 91 loweringi these auxili ry-- wheels intoengagement with.thelfieerfan(1%elelfating saidcarrying wheels therefrom'to permit side wise movements ofthe device by co: operation of said auxlliary wheels w th swivelled casters on the truck; alsoito, con:

struct. a guiding for controlling mechanism which is easily actuated. and, is positively held in its ope rative and inoperative positions; also to construct a truck or device of this sort having aframe or bedwithin which said: controlling mechanism may be assembled in compact form ;fand also to improve and" simplify devices of this sort in the other respects hereinafter specified and claimed". v T V In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of a truck or omnibus embodying theinvention.. f

Fig 2'is a plan view thereof showing the frame ofthe devicein section, p

Figs. 3 and ltare side elevations, on a reduced scale, showing two different positions OI" the supporting and controlling, means of the deviceQ v I V Figs, 51and 6 are transverse sectional elevations, on line 5 5, Fig, 2, showing the lowered} and raised positions respectively of the auxiliary wheelsiand'part' of'the actu'r ating mechanism therefor; I j

Fig, 7 is airagmentary' transverse section on line 7 7, F,ig. 2., v a

Big 8 is a similar View on {line 88, g: 22.

Fig, 9 is a transverse:sectionalplanview of a portion of the controlling mechanism on line 9+Q",, F ig. 1.

Intheembodiment,ofitheinvention shown inthe drawings, the truck, on device comprises, a, rectangular, open bed orframe 10 upon which a. cabinetor other load is adapt- ,ed'Itobeplaced andsuppojrted, and which includes oppositeiside and? end walls 11' and 12 respectively. pair of; main supporting wheels 13 is, arranged to, rotate on a transverse axle 1. L mounted" at its,- opposite ends sins fixed bearings 15 secured to the inner 'facesqof, the: sidewalls 111., These wheels 18 tending frnmfine side: Wall 111., t the other, s sthatlthei casters 121'. may r9111 Qn the flQQ swivel; {free-13;, 5 all. directions about vertical axes. As thus described, the truck is supported on the wheels 13 and casters 18 and may be pushed or rolled in a direction parallel to its length and turned bodily in any direction desired along a curved path, due to the action of the swivel casters. The controlling mechanism for permitting *the device to be moved in a direction transversely to its length in the illustrated embodiment thereof is arranged as follows:

The truck is provided, at that end thereof farthest from the casters 18 and on the opposite sideof the axle 14 with twowheels 24 whichare journalled to rotate in a plane at right angles to the planes of rotation of the wheels 13, and are norma1ly raisedoff of the floor so that the device is normally supported by the wheels 13 and casters 18, as described. The wheels 24 are adapted to be lowered ontov the floor and the main wheels 13 raised olf of the floor so that the truck can be supported by the wheels 24 and casters 18, and then be adapted, when so supported, to roll onthe wheels 24 and casters 18 in a direction at right angles to that in which it moves when resting on the main wheels 13. The wheels 24 are preferably disposed adjacent the corners of the frame 10 and are journalled on the outer ends of two transverse levers 25 which are pivotally supported at 26 between their ends and adj acent the wheels 24 on depending portions of brackets 27 fixed on the adjacent end wall 12 of the bed. The inner ends of the two levers 25 extend into an opening 28 in one end of an operating lever 29, or may be otherwise suitably connected to the lever, which extends longitudinally of the truck midway between the side walls 11 thereof, and is pivotally mounted between its ends on the axle 14 for the wheels 13 by bearings 29 or otherwise. The other end of the lever 29 is provided with a slot 30 which receives an offset or crank 31 of a transverse crank shaft 32 journalled at its opposite ends in bearings 33 on the side walls 11 of the truck.

When the truck is to be moved lengthwise from place to place on the wheels 13 and casters 18, the wheels 24, levers 25, operating lever 29 and crank shaft 32 are in the positions shown inFigs/l and 6, with the wheels 24 raised off of the floor. When it is desired to move the truck in a sidewise direction, the crank shaft is actuated by means of a suitable crank or handle 34 attached thereto outside of the frame, so as to swing its crank 31 through an are slightly greater than 180, as

shown in Fig. 1, thereby swinging the opera'ting lever 29 on its pivot to elevate the inner ends of the levers 25 and lower the wheels 24 ,onto the floor. The crank shaft 32 in turning through the are described moves the crank 31 slightly beyond its upper andlower dead center positions, in which positions the crank is positively retained by its engagement with the outer end of the slot 30, thus locking the levers 25 and wheels just described is such that the wheels 24 are lowered to the floor before the completion of the stroke of the crank 31 to itsupper position, and the remaining portion of its stroke, while continuing the swinging of the levers 25 through the lever 29, causes the levers 25 and 29 to act together, due to the resistance offered by the engagement of the wheels 24 with the floor, to thereby forcethe axle 14 upwardly and elevate the carrying wheels 13 and adjacent end of the truck until the crank is arrested by the outer end of theslot 30. The truck will now rest on the wheels 24' and casters 18 so that by pushing the same sidewise it may be moved bodily in a direction at right angles to its path of travel on the wheels 13 and casters 18 without requiring the truck to be turned around as it would have to be if it were rolled on its main wheels 13.

When the wheels 24 are in their elevated positions as described, the truck or device may be moved lengthwise and steered in the usual way 011 the main wheels 13 and the casters 18, as explained, to a position, for instance in front of a counter, and then by turning the crank handle 34 and crankshaft 32 to lower the wheels 24 and elevate the main wheels 13, the truck can then be moved bodily sidewise into a restricted spacebeneath the counter without turningthe bod or frame.

The controlling mechanism described is relatively simple and sturdy, consists of few parts which are easily installed and'are compactly arranged within the walls of the frame 10, and by a simple movement of the crank handle 34, the wheels 24 may be easily lowered or elevated, as desired, and secured in either position. 1

I claim as my invention 1. In a truck, the combination of a frame,

a pair of carrying wheels rotatable in planes said frame and connected to said pair of levers, and means for swinging said operating lever on its pivot to rock said other levers, whereby said auxiliary wheels are lowered and said carrying wheels are raised to permit said truck to besupported by and be moved sidewise of said frame on said j auxiliary wheels and casters.

2. In a truck, the combination of a frame, a pair of carrying Wheels rotatable in planes extending longitudinally thereof, a caster swivelled on said frame and cooperating with said wheels to support and steer the truck, a pair of auxiliary wheels arranged at right angles to said carrying wheels and mounted to move upon and down, a single operating lever pivoted on said frame and connected to said auxiliary wheels, a crank shaft journalled on said frame and having a crank movably connected to said operating lever and adapted to swing said operating lever on its pivot, whereby said auxiliary wheels are lowered and said carrying wheels are raised to permit said truck to be supported by and be movedtransversely on said auxiliary wheels and casters, and said crank being adapted to move beyond a dead center position and engage a part for positively holding said auxiliary wheels in said lowered position.

3. In a truck, the combination of a frame, a pair of carrying wheels rotatable on a transverse axle on said frame, a caster swivelled on said frame and cooperating with said wheels to support and steer the truck, a pair of auxiliary wheels arranged at right angles to said carrying wheels and normally disposed in an elevated inoperative position, a pair of levers pivoted between their ends on said frame and on the outer end of each of which one of said auxiliary wheels is journalled, a single operating lever pivoted 1 between its ends on said axle and connected to the inner ends of said other levers, and means for rocking said operating lever on its pivot to swing said other levers to lower said auxiliary wheels and elevate said carrying wheels, whereby said truck is adapted to be supported by and moved directly sidewise on said auxiliary wheels and casters.

4. In a truck, the combination of a frame, a pair of carrying wheels rotatable about fixed axes, a casterswivelled on said frame and cooperating with said wheels to support and steer the truck, a pair of auxiliary wheels arranged at right angles to said carrying wheels and normally disposed in an elevated inoperativeposition, an operating lever connected to said auxiliary wheels, and

a crank shaft having a crank connected tolever to positively hold said auxiliary wheels respectively in their raised and lowered positions.

ELLIS CLYDE BUSH. 

